ANDERSE^^ — Mission of the " Britomart " at Akaroa. 87 



have acted as I had done, and that he thought it was the surest way to avoid a conflict 

 which might have had very unpleasant consequences for both Governments, in breaking 

 out so far away. I insisted upon knowing if the contents of my letter had been well 

 understood. He told me. Yes, that he understood the whole sense, and the whole 

 situation ; that he would send a copy to the Governor-General at Sydney, who would 

 take his orders from the Government of the Queen ; and that in the meantime he 

 would use his whole persuasive influence with this same Governor-General, so that 

 the Committee should not be obliged to inquire about the validity of the French title- 

 deeds until the two Governments had come to some arrangement. After that I added 

 that I was going to the South ; that several landowners and colonists were already 

 established there, and others would go there to estabUsh themselves ; that the measures 

 I claimed were to be extended to them also, and that there, too, they were to feel the 

 protection of their Government, and consequently should be able to occupy the land, 

 work on it, sow and reap without being worried. Mr. Langlois will take possession 

 of Banks Peninsula and will give over to me the land which he is to transfer to the 

 French Government, which will not appear ui the matter, unless it were to judge that 

 it ought not to give its adhesion to the sovereigntj' of Queen Victoria over the Islands 

 of New Zealand of which Banks Peninsula is a part ; and in case that I were to receive 

 orders to declare that this sovereignty was not recognized I should proclaim that of 

 France ov^r the peninsula. I say only Banks Peninsula because all the rest is invaded 

 and occupied by the British. There is even a Magistrate at Cloudy Bay. Well, 

 Minister, things are so advanced that it is too late to stop them, and being persuaded 

 of this I wish to let the King's Government act freely without urging or compromising 

 it in anything. The same motives have made me avoid placing myself in the position 

 to be obliged to fire the first cannon-shot, the signal of war, knowing that if. on my 

 departure from France, Your Excellency could have seen the position in which I find 

 myself at present you would have sent me off with different instructions from those 

 I have ; you would not have let the " Comte de Paris " sail, and would not have left 

 me the choice of war or jjeace. 



Later, in July, Lavaud received information of other claims than that 

 of Langlois to land on Banks Peninsula ; and he writes to his Minister — 



. . . Your Excellency will see that, as I had already heard, the ownership of 

 Banks Peninsula has been partially or totalty claimed by. several people, who every 

 one of them pretend to be the legitimate owners and to possess title-deeds. I have had 

 the honour of mentioning to you, among rothers, Mr. Clayton, who lays claim only to 

 a part. Further I may name to you the firm of Cooper and Levy, of Sydney, who, as 

 well as Monsieur Langlois, claim the whole peninsula ; they have already brought 

 timber to close the isthmus of this peninsula, and the herd of oxen which is in the bay 

 of Akaroa belongs to this firm. 



I shall concert with Monsieur Langlois to see what can be done ; perhaps it would 

 be suitable to come to some arrangement with the claimants, of whom at least two, 

 Messrs. Clayton and Cooper, bought prior to him. 



In any case, we shall settle at Akaroa, awaiting your orders. 



The Middle Island (Tawai-Ponamoo) is to-day, as I had the honour of telling you, 

 nearly entirely in the possession of foreigners. We can no more think of acquiring from 

 the natives, who possess only the land reserved for their habitations and plantations ; 

 we could only buy from the British, but they are so numerous that I regard it as very 

 difficult to proclaim the sovereignty of France there, as the companj'^, according to all 

 appearances, can actually only claim a part of this jjeninsula. Through negotiations, 

 I believe it to be quite possible to make the Britannic Cabinet disown Governor 

 Hobson's first Proclamation, as he, in declaring the Queen's sovereignty, relies on a right 

 of discovery which cannot be acknowledged by the nations. 



It seems to me that it is impossible that this pretended right can be invoked 

 to-day, so long after the discovery of these islands by Captam Cook ; besides, the right 

 of discover}^ can only be exercised in uninhabited countries, but not in those where the 

 land is trodden by those to whom it naturally belongs and ought to belong. The inde- 

 pendence of the Jliddle Island, under the protectorate of France, would be, I believe, 

 what would henceforth suit you the best. The freedom of the ports of this Island 

 would lead to great commercial movement, which would strike a big blow at the 

 colony of the North Island, soon to be subjected to Customs duties. Your Excellency 

 will appreciate, from all that I have had the honour of communicating to you, the 

 obstacles I have had to encounter and the delicate position in which I find myself. 

 Nevertheless, in a conversation I had yesterday with Mr. Hobson, I thought fit to tell 

 him that French colonists, landowners m the Middle Island, had just arrived, and 



